Pros and Cons with northwest airlines?

Question

I am going away in the fall and I am flying with Northwest airlines. I am also going too be traveling with my son ( who will be 10 months at the time ) Has anyone encountered a bad situation with NWA where kids were involved? Or are they good when dealing with children? I just want too be prepared. Its my first time flying with a child and a little nervous. Thanks for the in sight :)

Answer 1

I can't answer any questions about NW. I flew them ages ago but as far as service and children are concerned, pretty much all companies are similar. I'm a former Flight Attendant and I now fly a lot with my own three children. We usually travel between Europe and California about twice a year.

First of all, I really recommend bringing a car seat and using it onboard. Make sure your car seat is approved for use on aircraft. See the below link for information on if it's approved. Most car seats, including infant buckets, sold in the U.S. are.

http://www.faa.gov/passengers/fly_childr...

This way, the seat will get there and back without risking it being damaged or lost in luggage. Last winter, after a transatlantic with my kids, three of our four bags didn't make it but since we had the car seat with us, my daughter was safe for the 2 hour drive home (the bags arrived 2 days later). I saw at least two other seats while looking for our luggage. Wonder how they got home?

If you have booked a seat for your baby, under FAA regulations, it is your *right* to use a FAA approved seat. It can't be refused.

If you don't have a seat for him, request it at check-in. Ask if the flight is full, and if not, they can "block" the seat next to you, only using it if they really need it. They often do this for families.

Bring the seat to the gate, even if they are unsure that you'll get a seat. This way, if you don't manage it, they will "gate check" your seat, sending it down with the strollers and wheelchairs. This is gentlier than checking it in at the desk.

I also recommend trying to sit at the bulkhead. These are the seats with the wall in front, located in different places depending on the aircraft. Bulkheads are easier with children since no one is leaning in front of you and there's probably room to crawl on the floor.

If you have your car seat, many think it has to go by the window. It just can't block another passenger's access to the aisle. So if the plane is a "wide body", meaning it has two aisles, you can place it in the middle. If it's a "narrow body" with only one aisle, it has to go by the window. You also can't sit in exit rows, but any child less than 15 years old is not allowed there, car seat or not.

If you have a travel system, you can use the stroller until you get to the door of the aircraft and then it'll be "gate checked". If not, use a stroller frame for a infant seat. You'll have it again, by the door of the aircraft when you arrive. If you have a convertible car seat (going to 40lbs), there are a number of contraptions you can use to wheel it around. I simply strap mine to a small metal luggage cart and that works great.

These are just examples!

http://www.gogobabyz.com/products/gogo_k...

http://www.amazon.com/Traveling-Toddler-...

http://www.onestepahead.com/product/osa/...

I simply use a small metal luggage cart and bungee cord my seat to it. Some parents also manage to use bungee cords to attach their seat to their stroller. A lot depends on your models. Experiment at home first.

If you do have a stroller, bring a bungee cord and double secure it before leaving it at the door of the plane. They can get damaged if they pop open en route. Make sure the claim ticket can be seen and isn't squished or hidden. Be sure to ask when disembarking where the stroller is.

Bring at least 1/3 more diapers than you think you'll need. I saw so many parents run out on flights when I was working! Wrap them in plastic bags and throw a bunch of rubber bands around them to save room in your carry-on.

For a formula fed baby, I really recommend using the bottles with plastic liners. Traditional bottles are too difficult to wash onboard because of the kind of sinks on airplanes. I premeasured the powder and rolled them up, placing the rolls in a ziplock bag. Then I threw the liners away as I used them and only have the ring and nipple to clean.

If you use bottled water, be sure to give yourself enough time to buy some once you're past security. You usually can't bring it from home and it will be taken in security. Make sure you buy enough! The water on the aircraft is filtered tap so decide if you're comfortable using that for your baby. Ask your ped but I never heard of airplane water making anyone sick. Bottled water runs out fast on flights and we never had any extra for baby bottles.

Be sure your baby does not need the bottle warmed. Get him used to a room-temperature bottle before leaving. This is unnecessary health-wise and a real pain to do while travelling. I warmed many bottles on my flights but I wasn't there in the check-in line, the security line or the waiting area! Babies do great with room-temperature bottles.

Make sure you have at least one change of clothes. At that age, I simply dressed mine in sleep suits for flying. No one will care so keep him comfortable. Bring extra socks since he probably crawls so that he doesn't pick up anything nasty on the floor and to keep his hands clean.

I have never used any sort of medications to get my children to sleep on any of those flights. At that age especially, they do nodd off at some point of the journey, more if it's at night. This is too young a baby and probably too short a flight to even consider this option.

I also think he's too young for a portable DVD player. I got one when my youngest was 3 years old. They are kind of heavy to cart around and could easily break. The baby must be able to either wear the earphones or watch it without sound (even quietly Barney will disturb your neighbors). Most babies that young can't really manage that.

Bring a few quiet toys but a small selection. Again, short attention spans and she'll be more interested in her new surroundings.

Hopefully you have a good baby carrier. They're so useful for flying, especially at this age. I had a sling but other parents swear by their wraps and pouches. The Ergo and Beccos are other popular carriers for travel that go on the back.

I liked the sling because I could slide my babies from into and out of a stroller or car seat without waking them. It also doubled as a blanket, baby changer, breastfeeding cover-up and sunshade! My sling was magic for calming my babies during the flight. Other parents wanted one when they saw how easy it made my travels. Avoid front packs like the Bjorn since they're so bad for both the parents' and child's back. A good carrier should go to at least age 2 whereas the front packs are usually outgrown by this age.

Many flying tips say to make the child suck on something or drink during take-off and landing. This isn't accurate. ENT specialists say to have the child awake about an hour before landing (top of descent, landing or touch-down is too late).

http://www.entcda.com/AAOHNSF/earsandalt...

I can confirm that is when I saw problems at work. Take your child to the doctor in the last few days before you fly to make sure his ears are clear and infection-free. Heathy ears can handle pressurization changes. None of my children ever used a pacifier and babies don't unduly cry during descent.

Babies do cry a lot during boarding. It has nothing to do with their ears and a lot to do with just being jostled around and perhaps woken up. It's also a stressful time for the parents so they pick up on the vibes. If your baby cries during boarding, do not take it to be an indication of the rest of the flight.

About 8 years ago, I wrote an article on flying with children for an expat newsletter. Over the years many parents have contributed. I later put it on a blog so that parents had access to non-commercial information from someone with both practical and professional experience on the web. Most information on the subject is written by people with no direct experience of working for the airlines, not to mention flying alone regularily on transatlantic flights with three!

http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com

Have a good flight!

Answer 2

I think sometimes it depends on the flight crew.  Some flight attendants may be more tolerant of a child if he/she is crying while others will tell you to control the child or get off the plane.

I have not heard of any negative incidents with Northwest Airlines and small children.  Hopefully a pacifier will help if the child cries.  But most people are pretty understanding if a child cries during take-off and landing since the cabin pressure is changing.